How do dams make hydroelectric power?
These are electric turbines inside a dam. When water from the dam passes through, the turbines spin. This creates electricity. Hydroelectric power is produced as water passes through a dam, and into a river below. The more water that passes through a dam, the more energy is produced. Once a dam is built, an artificial man-made lake is created behind the dam. Electricity is produced by a device called a turbine. Turbines contain metal coils surrounded by magnets. When the magnets spin over the metal coils, electricity is produced. Turbines are located inside dams. The falling water spins the magnets. Dams provide clean, pollution free energy, but they can also harm the environment. Species that use rivers to spawn are often hurt by dams. In the Northwest, sockeye salmon and trout populations have dropped from 16 million to 2.5 million since hydroelectric plants were built on the Columbia River. Dams all over the world have hurt some species. What are the highest dams in the U.S.? The hi
